The Myrtle Beach Sun News reports:
The most recent development in the court battle came last week, when the congregation that remained with the Episcopal diocese appealed an April ruling by Judge Thomas Cooper to deny the diocese ownership of the church property.
However, Cooper said the group that stayed loyal to the Episcopal Diocese are the true representatives of the historical church and have the right to use the All Saints Parish, Waccamaw, name.
He ordered the Anglican Mission congregation to return items such as furniture, books and historical church documents, since those belong to the Episcopal Diocese.
But he upheld a 1745 deed that said the church real estate is held in trust for the benefit of the people of the Waccamaw Neck, for the establishment of an Anglican church.
That means that neither the Episcopal Diocese nor the Anglican Mission in the Americas can lay claim to the church property.
The Anglican Mission congregation will continue to call their church All Saints Church, said Senior Warden Dan Stacey.
No real estate or real property will be transferred while the case is on appeal, Stacey said. “I’m not surprised [about the appeal],” Stacey said. “The judge ruled that they didn’t have any interest in the real estate and I’m sure that was a surprise to the national church.”
A two acre site adjacent to the church campus is not covered under the original 1745 deed, is not held in trust, and does belong to the Episcopal Diocese, according to Cooper’s ruling.
Read it all here.
One correction: AMiA is not “another branch of the Episcopal Church.” Further, it is not recognized by the Anglican Communion.